In the optical business, it is desirable to display a large variety of eyeglasses and eyeglass frames in a manner that is attractive and allows the prospective buyer easily to examine and compare a large number of different frames or eyeglasses. Advantageously, the frames or eyeglasses are supported such that they are readily seen from different perspectives. The supporting structure should not unduly interfere with the view of the frames or eyeglasses, and should make it easy for the customer to try them on, with minimal danger of upsetting other frames. A wide variety of such displays are known, examples being disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ 1,421,196 Fennimore 1922 3,229,944 Everburg 1966 3,924,750 Dunchock 1975 4,204,602 Dunchock 1980 5,018,253 Oppenheimer 1991 5,025,931 Berger 1991 5,056,668 Berger 1991 5,069,416 Ennis 1991 5,085,388 Cruetz 1992 5,144,345 Nyman 1992 5,176,262 Zoueki 1993 5,255,796 Josephson 1993 ______________________________________
Eyeglasses and/or frames have a peculiar structure, namely that needed to fit in place on the wearer's head. Thus, the frames have temple pieces to engage over a wearer's ears pivotally coupled to a lens support that typically has spaced pads to fit the bridge of the nose. These aspects are common to frames without lenses, sample frames with plain glass lenses, finished eyeglasses, sunglasses, reading glasses, goggles and the like, and the present invention is applicable to all these types, as well as other articles having similar needs or attributes.
It may be desirable to display frames with the temple pieces folded wholly or partly closed against the lens frame, or alternatively, folded open to the position they occupy in use. The fixtures supporting the frames should admit of such alternatives, and should also be arranged to hold the frames in an attractive array. Potential purchasers typically make their selection of eyeglass frames very carefully, and an attractive but unobtrusive supporting fixture is important. While the eyeglass and eyeglass frame displays disclosed in the foregoing patents include a variety of different types of display structures, it would still be desirable to improve on the supporting structures to provide a display system that is more sturdy, light weight, simple but versatile, unobtrusive, attractive, inexpensive and easy to install. It would further be desirable to provide a security system for eyeglasses or eyeglass frames when displayed on supporting structures that secures the frames to the supporting structures such that the frames cannot be casually upset, for example when reaching for an adjacent frame in a compact array.